Right Where I Belong
by Benevolently Cynical
Summary: Cato and Katniss end up Dual Victors because of a freak accident in the arena. Then Cato has to learn life after the Games - something his trainer never prepared him for.
1. Chapter 1

We ate crackers and dried beef strips for breakfast, all the while discussing different strategies.

There was only me, Clove, Thresh, Peeta, Katniss, and the girl with the red hair left in the arena, and we knew that Peeta was mortally wounded.

"Okay, so how are we going to draw Thresh out from that field of his?" Clove mused as we chewed.

"We could start a fire," I suggested.

Clove shook her head disdainfully. "That would attract too much attention. Firegirl would see the smoke and come running, and she's too accurate with that bow. We'd have to catch her by surprise to stand a chance."

"So we take out her and Loverboy before we go after Thresh. They must be stationed somewhere, since he's not dead yet and obviously too weak to walk."

Clove snorted. "And how do you propose we do that, Muscles? This isn't like training. She's not going to come trouncing out waiting for you to kill her."

I growled and threw a knife at her, which she dodged. "You think I don't know this isn't training? I've actually killed people here. I'm sore and malnourished, and I'm reduced to hanging around you."

That last part was a joke; Clove and I were best friends. We did everything together in training. She was the closest to my equal as I had ever seen in most everything except strength, but that was only because she was a girl.

She smirked at me. "Yeah, must be real tough for you, buddy. At least it's not your time of the month, so be grateful."

I scrunched my nose. "Clove, there is such a thing as too much information, you know."

She stood up and dusted the crumbs from her hands, then said, "Let's get going, Muscles. If we're going to find Firegirl and Loverboy we should get moving."

She held out a hand in offer of help. As per usual I declined it and got up by myself, stowing the rest of our supplies in our respective backpacks.

We moved quickly and silently, maneuvering around logs and piles of leaves effortlessly. As we walked, we talked. About everything. Weapons, past victories, prospective kills.

"I want Firegirl first, though," Clove whined behind me as we crossed a stream.

"No. She's mine. She embarrassed me in front of all of Panem, and boy is she going to pay. I need my revenge Clove, and you know it."

"But at least let me have a little fun with her," Clove said. If I didn't know her better, I'd think she was pleading with me.

I smirked. I knew what Clove's definition of fun was. Firegirl was in for a lot of pain, if I let Clove have her way.

"Fine, but I want her alive enough to know that I'm the one who took her. Just imagine the look on her face."

Clove laughed and pushed me playfully. "That is, if she still has a face by the time I'm through with her."

I snorted and pushed her back. A little too forcefully, I'm afraid, because she went flying into a tree, ramming the right side of her face into the bark. I ran over to her, worried.

"Hold still, you little demon," I snapped as I checked her head for injuries.

She pushed my hands away. "I'm fine, you bastard. Don't be so pushy."

With that she got up and started walking again.

I grinned and caught up with her. "Okay, but if you get a concussion don't blame me."

She whirled on me and started yelling. "I will blame you! You're the one who pushed me into the fucking tree, you idiot!"

That was Clove for you.

I raised my hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I'm sorry, Clove," I said sincerely.

She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. I could tell she was tired. Tired of everything, of the constant strain on her stamina, of the bad food, of me, of the arena. I drew her into a rough hug.

"Come on, little demon. Just a few more to go."

She hugged me back tentatively, burying her head in my arms. "But what if something happens to one of us?" Her voice was muffled through the shirt I wore.

"Then the other one goes on and wins the glory and honor. For our District."

A small pause ensued. Then she asked, "And if nothing happens to one of us? What then?"

That one was harder. I had refused to think about it until now. What if it did end up with us being the final two? What would we do? We were pretty evenly matched; neither of us had any secret skill or advantage the other didn't know about. Not to mention she was my best friend. How could I kill her?

But deep down inside I knew that I would do what I had to in order to win. Even if it meant taking Clove's life. _But would you be able to live with yourself if you did? _ A small voice inside me asked. I quickly pushed that voice away. I didn't need to think about that right now.

"Then we'll fight it out and I'll come out on top, of course."

She snorted into my shirt. "I'd like to see you try, Muscles."

I smiled and hugged her tighter for a second before releasing her from my arms.

"Come on, shorty. We have people to kill and a Game to win." With that I jogged off.

A few seconds later I felt a breeze as a knife whistled past my ear and lodged itself into a tree in front of me.

"You know I don't like being called shorty," Clove grumbled as she caught up to me after she retrieved her knife."

I grinned. "Yet you don't mind demon?"

"Shut up and run."


	2. Chapter 2

We ran the rest of that day, keeping up a good, steady pace. We broke to eat a few times, then continued searching for Firegirl and Loverboy.

Somewhere along the way Clove asked, "What if they haven't found each other yet? Last time we saw Katniss she was heading in the opposite direction that Peeta had gone."

I shook my head. "They'll find each other eventually. They have to keep up their star-crossed lovers act."

"How much of that do you think is true, Cato?" Clove panted. I smirked inwardly; I wasn't even breathing hard.

"It seems like a load of shit, if you ask me. Did you see Firegirl when she dumped the tracker jackers on us? Didn't even try to avoid Loverboy. She doesn't have any alliance with anyone, except herself and that little girl Marvel killed."

There was a silence for a few minutes. When I looked over at Clove to see what was up, she was frowning.

"What?"

"I just don't know about killing that girl. She was so harmless; she didn't even know how to avoid a spear."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't go all gooey on me now, Clove. She was an enemy. And she helped us get rid of Marvel, in a way. This is what we're born for, Clove. We've trained for this all our lives. We deserve to live, not some sniffling girl from 11."

She sighed. "Yeah, you're right." Then she smirked. "Well, _I _deserve to live. At least I have brains."

I rolled my eyes. "And you're humble too."

"Humility is so overrated."

A few hours later we stopped for the night. Clove got out the food as I unrolled our sleeping bags right next to each other.

We ate quietly, savoring the feel of the late afternoon sunshine. When we finished, Clove put the rest of the food away into our backpacks while I practiced with my sword.

I moved through my paces fluidly. Each movement was an old friend, each stance a companion I had known for many years. I had practiced each one so thoroughly I could have gone through them with my eyes closed on a balance beam.

A _thunk _brought me back to my surroundings. Clove was throwing knives at a nearby tree trunk. Of course, she was hitting it every time.

I snuck up behind her, and, pulling a knife from my belt, threw it over her head. I snorted with laughter as she jumped when it hit the target.

She whipped her head around and glared at me. I sobered my expression and looked at her quizzically.

"Really, Cato?"

I shrugged. "What are you talking about?"

"Stop being a bitch and let me throw my knives."

"I wouldn't throw stones if I were you, Miss PMSy. Not that you'd be able to throw them very far, anyways."

She shrieked in fury and attacked me.

She managed to land a kick to my stomach which took my breath away, but I grabbed her foot and twisted her around forcefully. She threw herself to the ground, pulling me off balance as I held onto her foot. Then she kicked my chin with her free foot, forcing me to release my hold on her. I snarled and threw myself at her.

She squealed and tried to move out of my way, but I caught her by the waist and threw her to the ground. I sat on her, holding her arms to the ground as she struggled, trying to escape my hold on her.

"Hold still, little demon," I murmured as she twisted, turned, and tried to buck me off. I chuckled at her attempts. I had over a hundred pounds on her; did she really think she'd get rid of me so easily?

Finally she stilled and glared at me. "You're going to pay for this later, you know," she snapped.

"Considering I'm the one on top, I highly doubt that."

Her retort was cut off by the national anthem. I let go of her arms but stayed on top of her, listening intently. Something was off. I glanced at Clove and saw her confused expression; she suspected something too.

Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed down from overhead, congratulating the six of us who remained. Then he continued to state that there had been a rule change in the Games. Under the new rule, both tributes from the same district would be declared winners if they were the last two alive. Claudius paused, as if he knew we weren't getting it, and repeated the change again.

Clove and I stared at each other. The news slowly sank in. We could both win. Neither of us had to die. The grin I felt growing on my face was mirrored by Clove's.

"We can win," Clove whispered breathlessly.

I grinned even wider. "We can win," I repeated.

I stood up, helping Clove to her feet.

"So what do we do now?" She asked breathlessly.

"Kill the others. Then we can go home."

"Sounds like a plan, Muscles. Tomorrow we'll get Firegirl and Loverboy, and the rest will be a piece of cake."

The sun was setting through the trees. I glanced up at it, thinking. This was what we were born for. We could win together, bringing even greater glory to our District by being the first double victors in the history of the Games.

"Let's go to bed early; we'll leave at sunrise and look for Loverboy and Firegirl," I said.

"You've got first watch."

"Fine," I shook my head ruefully as I watched her get comfortable. I retrieved my sword and sat down by her side as she unbraided her hair.

"We need to find them as soon as possible," I said softly.

"They'll be near a body of water, so probably near the lake or the main streams."

"And what about Redhead?"

Clove smirked. "I'll take care of her. One flash of that fiery hair and she's a dead girl walking."

"And I'll take care of Thresh; he should be an interesting challenge."

"Sword, knife, or bare hands?"

"I honestly can't decide. I'll probably play around with him first, and decide once I've almost got him beat."

Odds were I'd probably use my sword, but the knife and bare hands were both nearly as tempting. Although my sword was my favored weapon, it required two skilled opponents in order for sword fighting to be an art; otherwise it was just a crude tool to hack and slice with. Sword fighting was more of a dance between opponents than an all-out fight.

A knife, on the other hand, was naturally capable of more finesse. There were multiple ways to inflict fatal wounds to a body without getting too messy, and it was smaller than a sword, and therefore easier to carry.

Using bare hands to kill someone seemed rather primal, but it was a good show of brute strength, which I felt Thresh would appreciate, even in his last moments. I smiled at the thought of my hands around his neck, choking the very life from his lungs.

Clove said something, jolting me from my reverie. "What'd you say?" I asked her.

"I asked you if you were daydreaming about killing Thresh."

"Maybe."

"You're such a psychopath."

"Takes one to know one."

"Indeed." She smiled proudly.

I chuckled and settled down to keep watch. I kept glancing at Clove, who was snuggling up in her sleeping bag.

"Don't get too comfortable; you're up in four hours."

"Then I'll enjoy it while it lasts."

In a few minutes she was asleep.

The sun was almost down, casting its last rays of sunlight on the earth. It looked red as blood in the sky, lighting everything in its lusty hue. I looked over at Clove; her face was bathed in the light of dusk, highlighting her hair to a deep shade of reddish brown. She looked fierce even when she slept; her face showed her determination and will to live.

I shook my head. Now was not the time to be thinking like that. We were in the Games, and there were four people standing between us and our victory. We had to be on our toes.

Despite my thoughts, I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and touching a lock of Clove's hair. She stirred, but didn't wake. I continued to absentmindedly stroke her head for a few minutes, lightly running my fingers through her hair while I thought up different ways to kill Thresh.

Then I realized what I was doing and started to remove my hand.

"Don't," Clove whispered. I started; she was supposed to be asleep.

"Go back to sleep," I whispered, and began stroking her hair again. She smiled softly, and her breathing slowed. I went back to deciding between crushing Thresh's skull or running him through with my sword.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning I woke to Clove throwing knives at the same tree trunk from yesterday. It was starting to look pretty battered.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," she muttered as she gestured towards the backpacks where a delectable breakfast of crackers and dried fruit lay waiting.

I sat up, rubbed my hair into obeisance, and devoured the food.

Clove made a face as she passed me to retrieve her knives. "You smell."

"You don't exactly smell like a bed of roses either, shorty."

She growled and half-heartedly threw a knife in my direction. I caught it by the handle and smirked.

"Sounds like we both need to clean off," she snapped.

"Smells is more like it," I goaded.

"The lake's up ahead. We'll wash up real quick and get moving."

"One at a time though; someone needs to keep a lookout."

She looked at me like I was stupid. "Duh."

We made the lake in fifteen minutes. The sun was still rising, but it was already getting a little muggy.

Clove got out a knife and threw it in the air.

"Blade," I called as it reached its peak and descended. Sure enough, the blade lodged itself deep in the ground.

I smirked and set my backpack down by the water. She sat down with a huff and started cleaning her precious knives.

I tore off my shirt and threw it at her head. "Oh, stop being such a grumpy guts."

She tossed the shirt back to me, annoyed. "Just go wash yourself off. And rinse that too, it stinks almost as badly as you do, and I don't need you going around without your shirt."

I caught the shirt and grinned. "You know you like it."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever makes you feel better about yourself. Go wash, we don't have all day."

I dove into the water, relishing the cold that revived my limbs. I stayed under water as long as I could, seeing how far I could swim without any air. When I finally came up for air, I was a good ways from shore. Clove was sitting on the bank, habitually scanning the tree line as she continued polishing her knives. She occasionally glanced at me as I swam around in circles. She caught me looking at her and quickly looked down. I could have sworn I saw a smile on her face.

When I was cleaned off, it was her turn.

I turned around as she took off her shirt and jumped into the water.

I looked around to make sure that no one was watching us, then pulled out my sword and started practicing again. Every few minutes I would check on Clove and our supplies. She was swimming around happily, diving and staying under water for indeterminable amounts of time.

I smiled involuntarily. I couldn't believe that we were going to win. It seemed almost too good to be true. I mean, I knew that I would win eventually. I had trained for this all my life; this fight to the death _was _my life. But to know that my best friend could survive this too made it even better.

I was still practicing when she came out.

"You still don't have a shirt on, Cato?"

I nodded towards where both of our freshly cleaned shirts lay drying in the sun. "They're still wet."

"Well I'm putting mine on, because I'm a big girl and I can deal with wet clothes."

"It's not like you have a choice, Mother Nature." I heard her chuck something and ducked as a knife whistled over my head.

"You know, one day I'm going to steal all of your knives, so you won't have any to threaten anyone with."

She snorted contemptuously. "Good luck finding them all."

I turned around, smirking. "Don't tempt me."

She glared at me. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

She backed away, her face stoic except a small frown line marking her forehead. "Cato, I swear to God, if you touch me, I will kill you."

This was getting better and better. I started to walk towards her. "Sounds like a win-win situation to me."

Before I could make another move, however, the national anthem started again. I looked at Clove. "Again?"

She shrugged and tossed me my shirt before going to the backpacks to make sure all her knives were still there. "It's probably the feast thing they do every year."

She was right; Claudius Templesmith's voice booms over the lake, inviting us to a feast. I look at Clove and she shakes her head. "No; we can't take them all at once."

Then Claudius says something that puzzles me. "Now hold on. Some of you may already be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately."

What did we desperately need? I looked at Clove, who looked as confused as I felt. She gave me a questioning glance; I shrugged and shook my head. I had no idea either.

"Each of you will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance," said Claudius.

We listened a few more seconds, but Claudius was finished speaking. His words hung in the air.

"Do we want to do this?" Clove's voice was hesitant.

"I think we should. We could pick off at least a few. Loverboy definitely won't be there; he's injured. That's probably what they need."

Clove's face lit up. "So if we just kill Firegirl he'll die on his own, no more trouble."

I nodded. "My thoughts exactly. So if you can incapacitate her I'll go after the redhead."

"What about Thresh?"

I snorted. "Have you seen the guy? He leaves an unmistakable trail. Plus we know he favors the field; we'll just flush him out once we've taken care of the tricky ones."

"Good idea. So we go hide out by the Cornucopia and wait until tomorrow. I'll go after Firegirl – "

"Not killing her, though. She's mine," I interjected. Clove looked at me impatiently and continued.

"I'll go after Firegirl, and you can get the redhead. It shouldn't be hard to run her down once you've spotted her.

I nodded and grinned. "And we'll figure out what we supposedly need so desperately."

Her smile faded into a thoughtful look. "I wonder what'll be in the bag."

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow. Come on, let's get going. We need to find a good spot to see the Cornucopia."

It took us the rest of the day to get to the Cornucopia. It was dark by the time we saw the silver building in the clearing. The moonlight was reflecting brightly off the metallic surface, making it appear almost white.

As we walked towards it, I glanced at the blackened piece of earth where Firegirl had blown up our supplies. Rage boiled within me. That girl was going to pay for all the times she had made fools of us.

"You're going down, Firegirl," I muttered to myself.

Clove gave me a sideways glance, but said nothing.

We searched the edges of the perfectly circular clearing for a spot which would simultaneously hide us and give us a good view of the Cornucopia. It took about ten minutes of arguing, but finally Clove and I decided on a spot that let us see the mouth of the Cornucopia and made us nearly invisible to anyone in the clearing.

"You're sure you can't see me?" I called out to Clove, who was standing about twenty yards away from me, testing the camouflage of our hiding spot.

I could hear her eyes roll. "Cato, if I can't see you, no one can. I have freaking night goggles on."

"Yeah, they look great on you. You should consider adding them to your wardrobe."

"I'd throw a knife at you if I didn't think you'd take it and not give it back."

"Oh you'd get it back. Or rather, get it in the back."

"You're hilarious." She walked back to our hiding spot and took the goggles off.

I snorted. She looked at me quizzically. "What?"

"You have goggle marks." I touched her face, running my fingers along the line the goggles had left.

She blushed and slapped my hand away. "Piss off," she snapped.

I grinned. "Come on, Miss Grumpy Guts. Time for bed. Or rather, sleeping bag."

"You're just full of 'em tonight, aren't you?"

"I'm just excited. Tomorrow it all ends. We can go back home. We'll be victors. We'll live the rest of our lives in luxury and fame."

She smiled wistfully. "It sounds great, Muscles. I can't wait."

We were quiet as we got in our respective sleeping bags. No one would bother us tonight, we had decided. They would be too busy trying to figure out a way to get their item without getting killed.

"What do you think will happen to us?" Clove asked as we lay looking at the stars.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, will we still be friends? What do you think the Capitol will do with their first double victors? What will _we _do?"

I searched in the dark and grasped her hand tightly. "We'll always be friends, Clove. No matter what anyone does."

There was a moment of silence before she finally said, "Good, because God knows there's no one else who can stand you."

"Love you too."

"Uh-huh. Night."


	4. Chapter 4

I woke Clove about an hour before dawn. We ate quietly, stretched, and sat down to wait.

As it got lighter, I watched Clove's face grow in detail. Soon I could see the freckles that were sprinkled across her cheekbones.

I was distracted from my study when she whispered, "How do you think it'll happen?"

"I don't know. Parachutes? For all I know they could materialize out of thin air."

"They could probably make that happen. Lord knows what they concoct in their research departments."

I snorted.

"So we wait for someone to make the first move, then all hell breaks loose." She recounted the plan we had come up with last night.

"It'll probably be the redhead, since she'll want to get hers before anyone else moves. I'll run after her, and you stay behind and deal with Firegirl. And by dealing I don't mean killing. That's my job."

She rolled her eyes and continued. "Then we go find Thresh while Loverboy slowly dies from gangrene."

I grinned. "It's foolproof." I started to stuff all our belongings into our backpacks, getting ready to move.

"Cato?"

I looked at her. She seemed apprehensive. "Yeah?"

She debated saying something, but changed her mind. "Nevermind. Let's go kick some District ass."

She started to move off, but I grabbed her arm. She looked up at me, annoyed. "What? We need to move soon!"

I drew her closer. "There's something I need to do. Just in case."

She looked puzzled. "What do you need to do?"

I took her face in my hands and drew her slowly towards me. I smiled as her eyes went wide with realization. She didn't move as I caressed her cheek with my thumb and drew her closer until we were touching. I bent my head until our noses were touching, inhaling her scent.

"Something right," I whispered.

The voices inside my head screamed for me to stop, but I didn't listen.

"Cato," she breathed.

I drew her chin up with my fingers and brushed my lips against hers. When she didn't pull away I pressed my lips against hers gently. After a few moments, she kissed me back.

Her arms made their way to my neck as mine settled on her waist. The kiss grew deeper as we drew closer until she was flush up against my chest. Her hands knotted in my hair, drawing a silent groan from me.

_This _was what I was born for.

We finally drew away, panting for breath. My forehead rested on hers as we smiled stupidly at each other.

"_Now_ you can go," I murmured

"I don't really want to," she whispered back. I grinned.

"Neither do I. But we have to. Then we can go home and continue… this."

She smiled. "Whatever 'this' is, I think I like it." And with that, she kissed me fiercely. God, she could kiss. I drew her closer to me, wanting this moment to never end.

Unfortunately it had to. Clove pulled away and stepped back. I did so too, holding back a smile as I tilted my head, studying her. She was beautiful.

She saw me looking at her and shook her head, laughing. "Stop it. We have to get ready. It could happen any second; the sun is almost up."

"I'm ready," I said as I walked over and got my sword. Clove readied her knives, making sure each one was sharp and ready for the sixth time.

I rolled my eyes. "You know, if you sharpen them anymore they're going to cut through their sheaths."

Her retort was drowned out by a noise coming from the Cornucopia. We stopped what we were doing and ran to the edge to see what was happening. The ground in front of the horn was opening, and a metal table was rising. On the table were four bags of various sizes; it was too far away to see which one was ours.

Clove and I looked at each other. We readied our weapons.

"Wait," Clove said quietly.

"What?"

"Take this. You might need it." She handed me a beautiful knife, a stainless steel number with serrated edges near the ivory handle. "She's my favorite," Clove smiled affectionately at the weapon.

I was touched. Clove never gave away any of her knives. Ever. That she just gave me her favorite was really big.

I looked at the knife, and looked at her. "I'll take good care of her." I didn't mean just the knife.

I put the knife in one of the sheaths attached to the inside of my jacket. I patted the jacket. "Right next to my heart."

She snickered. "If you had one."

I was distracted by a flash of red hair. Redhead was ahead of the game, as we suspected. She ran to the table, grabbed a medium-sized backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Then she ran.

"Showtime," I said excitedly as I hefted my sword. I kissed Clove roughly and whispered, "See you later, shorty."

I didn't wait for her reply. All thoughts of Clove were erased from my mind as I ran off in the direction Redhead had gone. Her trail was hard to follow; I only had a few broken twigs and displaced leaves to go by.

I was getting closer, though. I ran faster when I saw a footprint in the mud by a stream. I was gaining on her.

After a few minutes her trail became sloppier; she was tiring. I smirked inwardly. Redhead wasn't used to pressure. As I ran I noticed that she was just skirting the Cornucopia clearing; we were only a couple hundred yards away from the edge.

A minute later I saw a flash of red ahead of me. I grinned wolfishly. "I'm coming for you," I whispered to myself.

Thirty yards. Fifteen. Ten. Five. Two. I grabbed the collar of her jacket and yanked her back, eliciting a squeal from the redheaded pixie.

"Hello, darling. Care to dance?" I snarled viciously as she tried to elude my grasp.

"Please, let me go!" She pleaded pathetically.

I smiled. "Haven't heard that one before."

"I have information about Peeta and Katniss!" That caught my attention. I didn't really need it, but one couldn't be too careful.

"Tell me and I might consider letting you go."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "They're stationed two miles downstream from the Cornucopia lake. They're in a cave camouflaged to look like a big rock, but there's a large willow by it. It's easy to spot if you know what to look for. Peeta's leg is infected, so I suspect that Katniss is getting a medicine for him."

I smiled genteelly. "Thank you…"

"Marissa."

"Marissa. It suits you." And with that I slit her throat before she had time to scream. I watched as the blood spilled onto her crimson hair. It was a beautiful clash of reds, almost surreal in the dawning light.

"Cato! Cato!" Clove's screams cut into the air like knives.

I ran.

"Clove! I'm coming Clove!" Something had gone wrong. I couldn't lose her. I wouldn't lose her.

I ran as fast as I could, reaching the clearing of the Cornucopia in the span of a minute. Just in time to see Thresh bash Clove's head against the Cornucopia again and again.

An inhuman scream erupted from my mouth. I ran towards him, but he was already halfway across the clearing with both his bag and mine from the table. I vaguely remembered seeing Firegirl run off.

I ran to Clove's side. Her eyes were open and unseeing.

"Clove, stay with me, please, stay with me," I pleaded. I grabbed her hand and kissed it, begging her to stay alive. I couldn't lose her. She was mine. She couldn't leave me like this.

"Clove, dammit! Don't do this to me. Don't leave me, please." She didn't move. I could see the dent in her head where Thresh had rammed her into the wall of the Cornucopia. I touched it with shaky fingers.

"Clove…"

I was alone. Clove wasn't there. She was gone. Thresh had taken Clove from me.

_Don't cry. _

I sniffed and wiped a tear from my eye. Thresh had to pay. He was going to die for what he had done. Clove was gone. Clove was gone, and I was alone.

I closed Clove's eyes and kissed her goodbye. "We could have made it, you know." I whispered to her shakily. "We could have won, and lived happily ever after."

I laughed softly at that. "Happily ever after. I knew it was too good to be true."

I looked at the sky, knowing the Game Makers were watching. "Is this what you wanted?" I screamed. "Clove is dead! Is this what you wanted? What kind of sick game is this? She didn't deserve to die."

A tear escaped my eye. I watched as it fell to the ground, wetting a blade of grass. "She didn't deserve to die," I whispered.

And with that I ran in the direction Thresh had fled. He was going to die. I would avenge Clove, and I would win the Games, bringing honor and glory to my District.

Alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Thresh's trail was painfully visible; huge footprints, broken branches, and the smell of sweat and fear decorated Thresh's path.

I ran faster than I normally would when chasing a victim. I needed to get away from Clove, from the hurt and the emotion and the weakness.

_Clove is gone. Keep moving. _So I kept moving.

I scanned the ground in front of me, looking for signs of weaknesses or slowing. I could tell by the unevenness of his footsteps that he was favoring his right leg; must have sprained an ankle or something. Blood smeared a few leaves; a cut on his shoulder, maybe?

I saw something bright orange up ahead. I stopped and looked around; I didn't see anyone, so I moved closer to the orange thing. Upon further inspection I discovered it was a backpack. The number 2 was printed on it in a big black font, so I assumed it was the bag Thresh had stolen from us – me.

_Thresh dropped it in his hurry to escape me._

_He's setting a trap for me and will ambush me when I look inside the backpack. _

I looked around me and listened; no living creature bigger than a chipmunk was within at least fifty feet of me. Too far to throw a spear and I knew Thresh couldn't use a bow from training. Option 1 it was. I walked up to the backpack and opened it. A skintight suit was inside – it covered everything from my neck down, including hands and feet. I stretched the fabric, testing it.

_Carbon fiber composite material. Strong, light, fiber-reinforced polymer, possibly containing carbon nanotubes. Bullet-proof and resistant to cuts and heat. _

To test that theory, I got out my knife and slashed the fabric. When it remained unscathed, I grinned. This would be enormously helpful defending myself from Firegirl's arrows, if I could just protect my head.

_There's only one._

I frowned. Why was there only one suit? Thresh couldn't have taken the one meant for Clove even if there had been one; he was much too large to fit into it. So then why had there only been one suit in the backpack?

My thoughts were interrupted by a savage yell emanating from above. I looked up just in time to see Thresh descending upon me from the trees, with a knife in hand. I cursed; why hadn't I checked the trees for an ambush? I should have known better by now, what with Firegirl's tree escapades and all.

I had no time to move away, so Thresh landed on me heavily, bringing us both to the ground and knocking the wind out of us. We tumbled away from each other as fast as we could in order to regain our breath.

"You're… going… to pay," Thresh threatened between breaths.

I laughed shakily and stood up. "We'll see who pays."

I twisted to avoid a knife to the gut – it only grazed my side. I ignored the pain – it was but a distant reminder of my humanity as I unsheathed my sword and stood back, waiting for Thresh to make the move. I smiled viciously. "Come on princess, I haven't got all day," I taunted.

I saw a glint of fear in his eyes, but it disappeared quickly as he unsheathed his own sword and lunged forward with a primal yell. I easily sidestepped the amateur thrust and twisted my sword so that it threw Thresh's tip up, exposing his belly. He jumped back just as I tried to pierce his stomach, though, and swung his sword. The clang of metal and the sparks flying reminded me of my many years training.

I grinned, my confidence and energy renewed. I beckoned him forward with both hands. "Let's see what you got, farmer boy."

He glared. "You killed Rue, you murderer." He swung his sword, attempting to decapitate me.

My smile disappeared. I blocked his sword and pushed him back using my own. "You killed Clove. She deserved to live more than any of you worthless swine."

He twisted around and hacked at my side. I blocked it and pushed him off again. "Rue was better than the two of you put together. You two are just psychopathic murderers with no respect for human life."

I roared and attacked him, my sword a silver blur as it slashed from one side to another. Thresh was having a hard time keeping up. "Clove was twice the person you will ever be," I screamed.

With that I feinted to the left, and just as he swung to block it I twisted my sword so that it would slash his throat. Unfortunately he saw it coming and twisted so that it only made a shallow cut on one side of the neck.

He turned back with a yell and hit my sword with his near the handle, twisting his viciously so that the momentum threw both of our swords into the air and out of reach. We looked at the swords, lying yards away. Then we looked at each other.

"It was only supposed to throw yours out of reach," Thresh remarked sheepishly.

I nearly grinned. "You held on too loosely. Now come fight me like a real man." I held my fists up in a boxing position.

I sneered, knowing that I would win this. I was better than him in every way – there was no doubt that I would come out of this alive. Even if he thought he had a better chance of survival if we fought with our bare hands, he was still a dead man walking.

He looked back at the swords only a moment before nodding and holding up his own fists. We started circling each other warily. I lunged forward and threw an experimental left hook, which he blocked easily. In return he tried to get me in a headlock, but I twisted out of his grasp and landed a kick to his shin. A look of pain flashed across his face, and he lost balance for a second, which was all I needed.

I whacked him upside the head with my closed fist, and he lost his balance and fell. I jumped on top of him and held him down. Then I went crazy, punching his face repeatedly. "You killed Clove, you sick bastard! Why'd you do it? You don't deserve to live!" I screamed in his face. My fists were covered in blood; whether it was my own or his was no concern of mine.

Somehow my hands found a rock, and I smashed it against his head repeatedly. He would die like Clove did. I reveled in the feeling of flesh and bone giving way under my fury. He would be punished for what he did to Clove.

I looked at what I had done. Thresh's face was no longer recognizable; it was all bones and blood and gore and brains. He was dead.

I looked at my hands. They were covered in blood and brains. I had done this.

I stood up quickly. It was done. Clove's death was avenged. Now the only ones left were me, Firegirl, and Loverboy.

The body armor still lay beside the orange backpack. I stripped quietly and put it on. Hopefully they wouldn't put that in the Games summary.

I went through all of mine and Thresh's belongings, taking only what I needed: some food, my sword, a couple of knives, and a pair of night goggles. I kept Clove's knife inside my jacket, close to where my heart would have been.

The cannon sounded as soon as I was out of sight of Thresh's mangled corpse. I continued jogging, a sick smile on my face. The rest would be easy. With the armor I could take down Firegirl, and Loverboy was in no condition to fight.

_I'm coming for you._

I kept up an easy pace while I travelled back to the lake. I was almost there when I heard a cannon fire.

A grin crept onto my face. It was most likely Loverboy; he was wounded and weak, and Firegirl was in no other danger excepting the danger I represented. That meant that Firegirl was alive and I only had to kill one more before I could leave this godforsaken arena.

I broke into a run once I reached the lake and found the stream Redhead had been talking about. It was a well concealed little stream that grew wider a few hundred feet from the mouth. I followed it about two miles, searching for the tell-tale willow.

I finally spotted it in the distance. My pace grew faster. I was ready to be done with all this.

I saw her sitting on a rock, her hands clasped in front of her knees and her head held low. My heart skipped a beat. _Must be the nerves_, I thought.

I stopped a hundred feet away from her, watching her. I couldn't decide if I would kill her with my bare hands, or use my sword to slash that pretty throat open, or use Clove's knife to gut her.

After a few moments she spoke, making me jump. "I was too late," she said quietly.

I was confused until I spotted her unopened orange bag. It was no bigger than the two of my fists put together, and a large 12 was printed on it.

I gestured towards it. "Medicine for Loverboy?"

She sniffed and nodded. "For his leg. We were supposed to win. We were supposed to live happily ever after."

She looked into the distance and laughed quietly. "I knew it was too good to be true."

My jaw almost dropped. I had said nearly the exact same things a few hours earlier.

I unconsciously moved towards her. She must have sensed the movement because she stood up quickly and aimed her bow at me. I raised my hands in a gesture of peace. I couldn't tell whether she was aiming for my chest or my unprotected heart, and I wasn't willing to take a chance.

A determined light flashed in her eyes. "I can still do this," she said loudly. "I can still do this," she repeated quietly.

A growl erupted from the bushes. I grabbed a knife from my belt in the same moment that she aimed for the bushes.

"What was that?" I whispered. We hadn't seen any dogs or wolves in the several weeks we had been trapped in this hellhole.

Firegirl shook her head, her eyes wide with fear and resolution. "I don't know," she whispered.

"Sounds big."

My observation proved correct as a huge black wolf leaped out of the bushes. It was at least twice as big as any other wolf I had seen, and had startlingly green eyes, which seemed to glow in the fading daylight.

I threw my knife, hitting it square in the chest at the same time Firegirl's arrow landed in its stomach. It didn't even flinch. I stumbled back as it leaped on me and started clawing at my body.

I mentally thanked the sponsors who had given me the armor; even the wolf's huge claws couldn't rip through the enforced fabric. I was going to have my share of bruises, though; the pressure exerted on my body was still immense.

I covered my head, trying to protect the most vulnerable part of my body. I would kill myself if I let a big dog murder me. Suddenly the wolf went limp, collapsing on me and nearly crushing my hand. I pushed it off with some effort, and was surprised to see a silver arrow lodged deep in one of the beast's eyes.

I looked at Firegirl quizzically. "Why didn't you let it kill me?"

She shrugged, not meeting my eyes as she yanked her two arrows from the canine corpse. "No one deserves to die like that."

"But an arrow to the heart is fine?" I asked as she leveled her weapon at me once again.

She snarled. "I'm doing what I have to. My family needs me."

"What about my family? They need me."

Her gaze never faltered, but I saw her flinch. "I'm doing what I have to," she repeated weakly.

A chorus of growls and roars ripped through the air. There were more of them? A whole pack, it sounded like.

I looked at Firegirl. Her eyes grew wide with fear. "If it took a knife and two arrows to kill one of them…" She didn't have to finish her sentence; I understood what she was thinking. Those wolves were huge and hard to kill. If we got caught by a pack of them, we were dead. Even my armor wouldn't be able to hold off a pack of furious wolves, since my head was unprotected. Firegirl wouldn't last a minute.

"Well good luck avoiding the wolves," I taunted. She looked at me quizzically.

"Where are you going?"

"You wish you knew."

I ran.


	6. Chapter 6

I kept up a fast pace; I had to keep moving if I wanted to outrun the mutts. As I ran, I could hear Firegirl's footsteps pounding quietly behind me.

It was inevitable that she would follow me; I had a better knowledge of this part of the arena, and I knew how to survive under extreme duress. Any sensible person would see where I was going. Too bad she was signing her death warrant by doing so.

I was surprised she was keeping up with me – most people didn't have the stamina. She was quiet too, she didn't crunch any leaves or snap twigs. I wondered where she had learned that.

About halfway to the clearing, though, I heard her veer off to the right, her footsteps eventually fading. I shrugged. She must have gotten scared by the ever-nearing mutts. Not my problem.

I kept running until I reached the clearing. The mutts were only a couple hundred yards behind me and gaining with every step. Even though I was the fastest runner in the pool of possible District 2 volunteers, if I didn't get to the Cornucopia the mutts would eventually overtake me.

I reached the Cornucopia just as the mutts entered the clearing. I started climbing. There were few handholds, so it was a challenge. I still reached the top in less than a minute, though. I looked down at the approaching mutts and grinned. They'd never be able to reach me; I was too high up and they couldn't climb the slick metal.

I heard a _swoosh _behind meand ducked, barely avoiding the arrow that whizzed over my head.

I turned around quickly and saw Firegirl nocking another arrow, her stance shaky on the slippery metal surface. How she had caught up with me so quickly I had no idea. I couldn't let her shoot anymore arrows, though. She was far too accurate, and I couldn't duck forever.

So I barreled towards her and knocked her down, flinging her bow over the edge. She was thrown near the edge, her brown hair unraveling from that silly braid she always wore. I heard a chorus of growls erupt and smiled. The pack was milling below us, waiting for a body to be thrown down to them.

I would be more than happy to oblige.

I sat on top of her small form, holding her down with my weight. She squealed in fury and pain as I snapped her right wrist with my thumb and forefinger.

"Now you won't try anything," I sneered. She wasn't going anywhere. "You're mine, Firegirl. You always have been," I whispered softly as I stroked her cheek gently with my thumb.

Her eyes widened in fear. I laughed. "You think I'm going to rape you? Nope, sorry. I don't think the Capitol would enjoy that too much. Besides, I'm _so _out of your league."

Fear turned to fury. "Get it over with, then, Cato. Brutal, bloody Cato. Show the world just how cruel and sadistic you are," she spat.

"Patience, sweetheart, patience. Something about sticks and stones breaking bones… Though I don't think either would help you right now." I chuckled.

"You're a bastard. Do you know that? Nothing but a sad, sick-minded child who enjoys killing other kids." I knew she was goading me on, trying to get me to lose control.

"Go ahead. Poke the bear. See what happens." I slapped her face hard, drawing tears. She looked at me furiously, her chin stuck out in fear and defiance.

I smiled. "I've been dreaming of this moment ever since I laid eyes on you. I always knew that it would end up being us. Even when-" I cut myself short. She didn't need to know about Clove. She didn't _deserve _to know about Clove.

"Even when what?" She demanded, the smell of fear emanating from her.

I shook my head. "Nothing. Let's get this over with. I want to go home."

And with that I put my hands around her skinny neck and started squeezing. I should have just snapped her neck and gotten it over with, but I figured the Capitol would enjoy a good show.

Her eyes looked at me accusingly as she tried to free herself from my grip with her one good hand. I smiled sadistically. Even if she had both hands, she'd never be able to get me off. Her mouth opened and closed like a dying fish gasping for air.

Suddenly her fist shot out and hit my nose, causing it to break. The blood dripped down my face annoyingly. I was startled by her sudden action and inwardly cussed as I involuntarily lessened my grip on her throat. Stupid.

That was all she needed. She twisted her neck out of my hands and somehow got her feet out from under me. I lunged forward to try to immobilize her again, but she put her feet to my chest and used my momentum to push me over the edge of the Cornucopia.

Everything moved in slow motion. I saw the mutts leaping for me, their eyes aglow with hatred. I saw Clove's gold-flecked amber eyes, her jaws open and waiting to latch onto my flesh.

Then I hit the ground and everything went dark.


	7. Chapter 7

I awoke to blinding light and faint beeping noises. I tried to get up, but found I couldn't move.

My body was on a gurney, immobilized by restraining straps. Why was I here?

_The Games._

It all flashed before my eyes.

The blood bath. The hunt. The tracker jackers. Clove. Clove dying. Thresh's fight. The mutts. Firegirl pushing me over the edge. Then everything was black. I couldn't remember anything.

I needed to find out what had happened and how long it had been since I won the Games.

I looked around me; I was in a small, square, white room completely devoid of anything except the expensive machinery I was strapped to.

"I'm awake," I yelled to the empty room.

Almost immediately a nervous doctor accompanied by an armed guard entered.

"Hello, Cato. You're looking much better today." The doctor busied himself by checking all the instruments they had me hooked up to. The guard watched me carefully, staying silent. Why was he here? I hadn't misbehaved.

When I asked the doctor about it, he froze for a second and began wringing his hands nervously. "You don't remember?" he asked.

I paused, searching for any memory that might clue me in on what so apparently distressed the doctor.

"I remember falling to the mutts, but that's the last thing I can remember," I admitted. It was annoying to have to rely on someone else for information that should have already been stored safely and accurately inside my head.

"I suppose I should start from there, then."

If I hadn't been restrained, that doctor's lifeblood would already have been painting the floor in payment for his nonsense. I kept my appearance composed, however. I still needed information.

"Well," he began. "After you and Katniss fell to the mutts-"

I raised a brow; I didn't remember Katniss accompanying me on the short trip to hell.

"I don't remember Fir- Katniss falling with me. Could you refresh my memory?" I said smoothly.

The doctor visibly relaxed, obviously relieved that I hadn't tried to snap his miserable neck. "Of course. When she pushed you off the Cornucopia, you grabbed her wrist so that she was pulled down with you. You both blacked out, and the mutts almost destroyed both of you. But the Capitol stepped in and rescued you two from the dogs, declaring you double victors for the first time in history." His voice had built to a crescendo by the time he had to take a breath.

I nodded, memorizing each fact he produced. Somehow I brought Katniss down with me. Good.

Then the Capitol declared us both winners. Not good.

But I stuffed the fury down to deal with later. I needed more information.

"What happened then?" I prodded.

The doctor continued happily. "Well, you were both pretty beaten up and malnourished from your time in the Games, so they sent you to this hospital to recuperate before they introduced you two as victors."

Each time he referred to "us" as double victors, I involuntarily stiffened. This was not right. _I _was supposed to win, and Firegirl was supposed to have been eaten by the mutts. The doctor continued, oblivious to my discomfort.

"Anyways, you woke up a few hours after your arrival when we were stitching up some cuts on your head from your fall. You went crazy and killed two doctors and a nurse, hence the restraints and armed guards."

At the words, I saw a flash of a memory. _Bright light, a lot of masks. Then red and screaming and a sharp pain in my head._ I must have freaked out and thought I was still in the Games, acting on instinct and murdering three people. I shrugged mentally; they were of no consequence, and they had just been too stupid to stay out of my way when I wasn't in a stable state of mind.

"We figured you were merely hallucinating or that you were confused and thought you were still in the Games, judging by the erratic brain activity surges when you awoke. Otherwise you would have gone to jail for the murders. Count yourself lucky." He wagged his finger at me, his tone growing cocky.

I longed to crush the arrogance from his pitiful face. Instead I smiled. "I remember some of it; I remember thinking that I was in the Games again and that there were beasts attacking me. I'm terribly sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused."

He acknowledged my apology, saying, "All's well now; the victims' families have been informed of the incident and have been duly pacified."

"And when did that happen? How long ago were the Games?"

"Nearly a week. You and Katniss will leave to rest in your homes after the Victor's ceremony tomorrow."

Home. It was such a meaningless word.

"When will I see Katniss?"

He frowned. "Not until the ceremony. Why?"

I shrugged. I honestly didn't know why I wanted to see Katniss. I felt no anger towards her for surviving the Games with me, since apparently it was my fault she survived in the first place. I was angrier at myself for grabbing her arm in the first place. The balance had been upset, and I was the one to blame.

"Well, I'll let you rest. It's getting late, and you need to be up early tomorrow," the doctor continued, ignoring my ambiguous non-reply.

"Well, thank you for everything. But do you think you could please unstrap me, considering I'm now in my right mind?"

He slapped his forehead. "Of course, I completely forgot." He pressed a button and my restraints slid into my bed. I rubbed my wrists gratefully.

"You can get up and walk around, and there's a bathroom through that door, but the door to the hallway is locked. Merely a precaution, I assure you."

I nodded my assent and thanked the doctor. He smiled and left, beckoning the armed guard to follow. The lights turned off, with only the machines as a source of light.

I waited exactly twenty minutes before scrambling out of bed. I ripped off my shirt to examine my body. A sigh of relief escaped as I saw that they had left all my scars intact. I checked for the injuries I had received in the Games. I found nothing but scars, freshly pink but healing quickly.

There were four very thin scars running through the hair on the right side of my face. That must have been where the mutt had gotten me. I fingered a scar on my right arm absentmindedly, thinking of Clove.

She wasn't here with me. Firegirl lived instead of her. The world didn't feel right.

Behind me I heard a sequence of beeping noises and the door through which the doctor had left slid open. The ensuing footsteps were almost completely silent, padding across the floor with a lithe grace that I recognized.

"Speak of the devil," I mused, not bothering to turn around.

"Cato?" she whispered tentatively.

I sighed tiredly. "What do you want, Firegirl?" I didn't need this. "How'd you get in here?"

She snorted. "I copied the keypad noises. Amateur stuff."

I inwardly cursed myself for not having thought of that. "And my first question?" I turned around to face her, hands on my hips. I could see her small form despite the almost complete darkness.

She stopped short, ready to flee. She reminded me of a lynx, with her graceful step, deadliness and contradicting shyness.

"Why did you bring me down with you?" She asked, taking a small step towards me.

My neck cracked as I rolled my head and shoulders, loosening the cramped muscles.

"You _would _choose the one question I can't answer," I muttered as I brought one elbow to my head and stretched my triceps with the other arm.

She crossed her arms. "You don't know why you pulled me to seemingly certain death?"

I stretched the other triceps. "I would assume it would be to kill you. But that's just a guess."

"You don't know why you pulled me down? Were you high or something?" she demanded, utter contempt coloring her voice.

"Listen, Girl on Fire," I sighed as I touched my toes to stretch my back and calf muscles. "The last thing I remember is falling to the mutts, and even that is a little fuzzy, since I keep seeing Clove's eyes every time I try to remember."

She was silent for a moment. Then she whispered, "The mutts had the dead tributes' eyes, Cato."

I straightened quickly, looking at the outline of her face. "I wasn't hallucinating?" I questioned.

She shook her head. "It was some sort of sick joke the Game Makers played on us." Of course. The Game Makers were cruelly innovative. I wouldn't put it past them.

Silence ensued as we faced each other.

Finally I broke the silence. "I could have killed you seventeen times by now, you know," I said softly. It wasn't a threat, it was just the truth. Surprisingly, though, she didn't back up or run.

After a few seconds she replied. "Then why haven't you?"

I shrugged. "We're not in the Games anymore. I don't know how I'm supposed to act, and I think it's a pretty safe assumption I'm not allowed to kill anyone," I joked weakly.

She laughed softly, her stance relaxing the smallest bit.

"I should want to kill you."

"Likewise," she replied softly.

I shook my head. "It's not the same, Firegirl. You weren't born and bred for the Games. You don't know the shame I'm going to have to face back home because I didn't kill you when I could have. They're going to tear me apart, and no one's going to be on my side."

"What about your family?"

"Why are you here, anyways?" I asked, blatantly avoiding the question. "We aren't supposed to see each other until the interview tomorrow."

Her shoulders lifted in a small shrug. "I want to know why."

Why I hadn't snapped her neck when I had the chance. Why I brought her down with me, subsequently saving both our lives. Why I wasn't trying to kill her now. Why, why, why.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Firegirl. I need to process all this; I've only been awake for forty three minutes, you know. How long have you been awake?"

"Three days."

"What have you been doing?"

"Watching you sleep at night, trying to decide whether or not to kill you."

At least she was being honest.

"I wanted to kill you," she continued. "I really wanted to kill you. You're here instead of Peeta. It doesn't feel right."

"And you're here instead of Clove. So the feeling's mutual."

She stopped. "Did you really love Clove?"

"Did you really love Peeta?"

She was silent for a minute and a half. "I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know."

"Then don't ask me about Clove. You can't possibly understand."

"So you did love her?"

I craned my neck upwards and closed my eyes.

"You can't possibly understand," I repeated. She was so much more than my love. She was… it was… complicated.

But not anymore. Because she was dead.

"Next question," I said wearily.

"Okay. What the hell are we going to do tomorrow?"

The interview. She wanted to know how we would present ourselves.

"Have you talked to your mentor yet?"

She nodded. "He's been giving me possible angles ever since I woke up. This interview's going to be a big deal. It'll decide how - and if – we'll be able to live the rest of our lives as Victors."

"You think I don't know that? The Victor's interview is one of the most viewed post-Games specials. It'll determine everything. So how are we going to play it?"

"Friends. We've made our peace with each other, and we're actually talking and we're comfortable around each other."

Friends with a District 12 girl tribute? It was almost preposterous. At least, it would have been before the Games. But she was different. And I was different now.

"Friends it is. But only until the interview is over. Then we go our separate ways."

She nodded. "As you wish. We'll pretend this never happened."

"Good. Now leave. I need to sleep."

Without another word she turned and left.

I sat on my bed and held my head in my hands. It was just one interview. I could do this. Then I could go home.

_It won't be home again. Not without me,_ Clove said.

"I know," I whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my lovely readers. So I'm just starting this up again because of recent inspiration, but I make no promises because college is eating my lunch right now. But, I have a few chapters in reserve, so you'll get some for the next few days, at least. And reviews are always helpful. Always. I love input; it always inspires me (hint hint). :) Enjoy!**

A conflagration of bright lights and cheering Capitol citizens assaulted my senses as I stepped onto the stage. I smiled charmingly and waved at the audience, drawing even more screams of adoration. Caesar Flickerman stood from his chair as I walked over to him. He shook my hand, then we both sat down and started talking.

"So, Cato. How does it feel to be a double victor for the first time in the history of the Hunger Games?"

I thought a moment before replying. "Well, Caesar, to be honest, I'm not sure. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting."

He nodded understandingly. "I don't think any of us were. I know I was shocked as I watched you and Katniss fall to the muttations. For a while I was afraid we would have no victor this year."

I chuckled. "So was I."

He laughed good-naturedly. "Of course, of course. Well, speaking of double victors, let's welcome the other victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen!"

I stood as Firegirl entered. My eyes widened slightly as I saw her. She was candlelight. Or rather, her dress was. A soft yellow that flickered and almost danced whenever she moved. Her hair was down, making her look younger than she probably was. Cinna did an excellent job dressing her up; she looked very young and innocent. I wondered vaguely how she was going to pull that off.

Caesar took Firegirl's hand and kissed it. I smirked inwardly as I saw her stiffen up as she attempted to restrain herself from snapping his neck. He didn't notice, of course, and amiably led her to her chair, which was directly next to mine.

She looked at me questioningly. I smiled and walked forward to hug her.

She returned the act, whispering harshly in my ear, "What the hell are you doing, Cato?"

"Keeping up appearances, Firegirl," I retorted quietly as I patted her back.

I released her and we both sat down.

"Now, before we start the interview, why don't we watch a little overview of the Games, to refresh everyone's memory of all that happened?" And with that, Caesar gestured to the large screens distributed throughout the auditorium.

I watched the video impatiently, ready for everything to be over so I could go home.

Most of it was boring. _The bloodbath, the endless search for various tributes, and my apparent obsession with killing Firegirl. _

As I watched the video, though, it became obvious that the editors were focusing mostly on Loverboy, Firegirl, and their relationship. Each time one of them spoke the other's name, it was on the screen. _Loverboy telling me to leave Firegirl alone. Loverboy pushing Firegirl out of the way of the tracker jackers. Firegirl finding Loverboy wounded. Their kiss. The announcement that two victors could win if they were from the same district._

The thing that struck me the most, though, was the fact that they completely cut out my relationship with Clove. It was as if it had never happened. The video didn't show our reactions to the announcement. It didn't show our kiss.

But then I saw her death. _She was thrown against the Cornucopia multiple times, and then fell to the ground, her eyes lifeless. Then Thresh turned to Firegirl and said she could go. Firegirl ran._

I gripped the arm of my chair with such force my knuckles popped. Firegirl glanced at me. I turned my head slowly to look at her, a dead expression in my eyes. She quickly looked back down at her hands.

The rest of the video was a blur.

It was all clear to me now. Everyone loved Firegirl. They felt the need to protect and save her, even that brute Thresh.

She may not have been the reason Clove died, but she sure as hell was the reason Clove wouldn't be remembered. Everyone paled in comparison with Firegirl; she overshadowed anyone who tried to come close.

I hated her for it.

And I still had the rest of the interview to get through.

As the lights turned back on I gritted my teeth and smiled for the cameras. I just had to get through this interview. Then I would be done with Firegirl forever.

Most of the questions were meaningless as we progressed through the reminiscing of the Games. What had happened with the tracker jackers, how Firegirl had escaped the fireballs, et cetera.

But then came the serious questions.

"Now Cato, I'd like to ask you a rather… difficult question," Caesar said. "How did you feel when you saw Thresh kill Clove?"

I was silent for a moment, trying to tell the crowd how it felt without really giving my emotions away. "It struck me deeply," I finally got out. "A minute ago Clove had been by my side laughing and smiling, and then she was dead, her brains beaten out." My fist clenched and unclenched as I spoke, bitterness coloring my words. "It reminded me of how fragile human life is, and how quickly it can be extinguished."

Caesar stayed silent a moment, pondering my words. Finally he got around to asking Firegirl how she felt when Peeta died.

She said something about how she wasn't prepared for it, and how it devastated her, and how she'd never be able to love again, or something like that. I wasn't really listening.

"I am sorry, my dear. Let's move on to some easier questions, shall we? We only have a few minutes left." Caesar patted Firegirl's knee as she wiped her eyes quickly and smiled weakly.

"So," he continued, "What were the two of you thinking as you fell to the mutations?"

I frowned. "I don't really remember that even happening, Caesar. It must have been the subsequent blow to the head, but I don't remember much after she kicked me off the ledge."

Firegirl smirked. "I remember thinking that if I lived through that, I was going to kill him."

Caesar laughed out loud, drawing more laughs from the audience. "Well that wouldn't have been too good; we wouldn't have the auspicious honor this year of having dual victors."

I stiffened in my seat; Firegirl glanced at me quickly.

"I wouldn't really have appreciated it either," I quipped. Firegirl managed a slight chuckle at that.

"Okay, last question, I promise," Caesar said reassuringly. "What are you going to do now? What will happen between the two of you?"

I looked at Firegirl. She looked at me, and I knew that she saw the disdain in my eyes, because she flinched.

"I think we'll get along just fine," I answered, knowing Firegirl would catch the subtle threat buried in my words.

She didn't say anything, merely nodding in assent. Caesar was a bit baffled, but had to let us go as the time was up. We stood and bowed to our audience, smiling and waving as we left the stage.

As soon as we were safely offstage I grabbed Firegirl by her dress and slammed her against a wall, holding her a few inches off the ground.

"It should have been Clove," I snarled.

I threw her to the ground and stalked off in search of Brutus and Enobaria.

I had just rounded a corner when I saw Brutus arguing with Haymitch. Brutus was towering over Haymitch, who kept waving his arms and sloshing alcohol everywhere from a bottle he held precariously in his hand.

I walked up to them, unsurprised when they stopped talking as I drew near.

"What's going on?" I questioned.

Haymitch took a swig from his bottle and said, "You're coming to 12 with me and Katniss."

I looked at Brutus, bewildered. Was this some joke the inebriant had made up? Brutus crossed his arms and glared at me.

"What?" I growled.

"I don't really need to repeat myself, Cato. You're coming to 12 with us, and you're not going to make a fuss about it." Haymitch stabbed his finger in my direction.

I ignored the drunk and stared at Brutus. "Why?"

"You know exactly why," Brutus retorted.

I shook my head. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Brutus."

"Oh don't play stupid with us, Cato. We know you could have killed Katniss multiple times during the Games, ensuring your victory, but you didn't. Now tell us why."

I shrugged my shoulders. "It never felt like the right time. Plus I couldn't decide how to carry it out."

Brutus grabbed my arms and shook my furiously. "Foolish boy! You've disgraced your whole District, because you were incapable of killing an insignificant, _District 12 _girl!" He spat.

Haymitch made some garbled complaint at that, but we both ignored him. I wrenched myself from Brutus' hold and stood back, alert for any other possible attacks.

"Well I can't do anything about it now, can I?" I shot back.

"Oh yes you can. You can spare us all your shame. You're not coming back. You're going to 12 with Katniss and Haymitch because there's nowhere else for you to go."

I stood there, unmoving. "Not go back to 2?"

"No. They don't want you to come back."

"Because I'm a dual victor?"

"Obviously."

My mind raced. My own District didn't want me because I hadn't killed Firegirl when I had the chance. Which meant I was basically an outcast. Sure, I'd get the Victor's salary, but I'd never be able to return home.

This didn't really surprise me, but it was still unnerving to hear.

"I'm not going to 12," I decided.

Haymitch chuckled. "Where are you going to stay then?"

"The Capitol. I can find someplace to stay here."

Haymitch laughed out loud. "If you stay here you'll eventually get auctioned off as a sex slave to the highest bidder of the week. You have no other place to go. Don't you see that?"

The sex thing was true. I had heard about Finnick Odair, Rosalie Darling, and the other attractive victors who had been forced to sell their bodies for the Capitol's benefit. It would inevitably happen to me if I stayed in the Capitol; I was attractive and people were all too willing to pay to get what they wanted here. I would rather die a thousand deaths than to demean myself in such a fashion.

I stomped off, breaking a few vases as I went. I could hear Brutus and Haymitch continue to argue until I was out of earshot. I really had no other choice. I would have to go to 12.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry guys! I went to Guatemala last Wednesday and forgot that I wouldn't be bringing my computer. Sorry you had to wait so long. But seriously, I'd like some feedback. I don't know if anyone likes it, and I know that I get annoyed by the bad stories that keep getting updated. Love you all! **

I didn't bother retrieving anything from my rooms; I already had Clove's knife with me, and that was all I cared about. Clothes would be provided by Cinna or whoever decided my wardrobe. I went to the train station, trying to avoid all the screaming women throwing flowers and various pieces of lingerie at me. I entered the train headed for 12 quietly and found the room Haymitch had set aside for me; apparently it was Peeta's old room. It was small, but well-furnished.

I sat on the bed as the train started moving, wondering if Firegirl knew that I was coming to 12 with her. She probably didn't. I smiled; it would be so much fun to surprise her, not to mention making her life as much of a living hell as mine was sure to be. 12. I groaned. This wasn't how I had planned my Victory to be like. I hadn't planned to be banished to an outlying District that mined _coal_, for God's sake. My Victory was supposed to be with Clove. We were going to settle down and live the rest of our lives together.

But she was gone.

I sighed and stood up. Maybe they had a gym on this train, since the one from 2 had one. I searched every car, but didn't find one. So I gathered all the butter knives and practiced throwing them at a painting of a red-haired man.

I had only gotten about twelve of them to stick when I heard a shriek erupt from the doorway. "What are you doing?! You barbarian! That is Van Gogh!" A woman dressed in an alarming shade of orange waddled towards me in three inch heels. She held her manicured hand out. "Give me those, young man! Throwing knives at a painting is unacceptable behavior!" She enunciated every syllable, in the highest pitch possible.

I threw one more knife, sticking the red-haired man in the eye, then handed her the rest of my knives. She took them and looked at me sternly.

"If you're going to be living in 12, you're going to have to learn some proper manners, Cato. The people there are very nice, and you need to get along with them. Do you understand?"

She treated me like I was a child. It was all I could do to nod my head and not snap her neck. She smiled at me reassuringly and walked off. I pulled out another dozen knives from my shirt and started throwing them again as soon as she was out of sight.

This amused me for about twenty minutes until the painting stopped resembling a painting as much as it did a shredded curtain. I sighed and went to my room to nap.

I was woken up by a scream and a chair thrown at my head.

"WHY IS HE IN HERE?!"

Another chair.

"GET HIM OUT!"

By now I was awake enough to catch the next item that came flying towards my head; a vase full of flowers. I jumped out of bed and took in my surroundings. Katniss was screaming obscenities at me while trying to find more things to throw, and Haymitch was trying to grab her arms to stop her from throwing things at me.

"YOU BASTARD!"

That was enough. I pushed Haymitch out of the way and threw Katniss to the floor. Then I sat on her and held her arms to the ground. She continued screaming at me, something about how I was stealing Peeta.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU KATNISS?!" I screamed at her face. I wasn't the calmest person when woken up by furniture thrown at my face. Sue me.

"PEETA'S ROOM!" She managed to get out through tears.

Ah. So the room that had been given to me was Peeta's old room. She was emotionally attached to a room. This girl was a wreck.

I stood up and walked out, leaving Haymitch to console Firegirl.

That night, I slept on a couch. Haymitch had tried to convince me to sleep in Peeta's room, but I refused.

She visited me again, just before midnight.

"Five nights now, right?" I murmured as she padded into the room. She was so quiet I could barely hear her, which was impressive. It took a lot to get past me.

She didn't say anything, but sat down beside me and curled into a ball.

We sat there for a while, not saying anything, just thinking.

"What are you going to do when you get to 12?" She whispered.

"Try to figure out a way to get back to 2."

"Why?"

"I don't belong in 12."

She looked at me. "Do you belong in 2, then?"

I was silent. I didn't know where I belonged. It certainly wasn't the Capitol; I'd be sold as a sex slave if I stayed there. It wasn't 2; nobody wanted me there. And it definitely wasn't 12; it was a poor District with nothing to offer me. Maybe I didn't belong anywhere.

The clock chimed midnight, interrupting my thoughts.

"Well it's bedtime, sweetheart. We both need our sleep." To encourage her departure I turned away from her, pulled my blanket to my shoulder, and closed my eyes.

There was a pause. Then she whispered, "I don't belong anywhere, either." Then she left.

It took a long time for me to fall asleep after that.


End file.
